The Affordable Care Act Was Signed Into Law - 1392 Words

Healthcare has been around for many decades. It has always been a problem for many Americans. Whether it be too expensive or individuals do not qualify to be covered under medical insurance. Many Americans have spent years trying to get some type of medical coverage. This can be a frustrating task because it is not easy. In 2010 the Affordable Care Act was signed into law by congress. This law made healthcare affordable and accessible to all Americans. While it is a good attempt at changing previous healthcare rules, many Americans still go uninsured. In this paper I will look at two components the American Nursing Association feel need to be reformed. An area of concern for the ANA is the work place of practicing and future nurses. The†¦show more content†¦The ANA feel by improving patient outcome and job satisfaction it would boost the morale of the nursing environment (Health System Reform Agenda, 2008). The ANA would also like to see more healthcare facilities utilize the Magnet concept. The Magnet program is a program that recognizes healthcare organizations that deliver the best nursing care. They also feel if employers recognized that long work hours and heavy patient load can increase fatigue of the nurse and decrease positive patient outcomes. The ANA support regulation that strive to limit the number of hours a nurse can be forced to work (Health System Reform Agenda, 2008). Another rising issue is the lack of educators in the nursing world. If institutions do not have enough educators to teach incoming nurses how can class sizes increase to fill the current nurse deficit? It all stems from funding. Along with the shortage of educators comes the rising costs of college tuition and students not being able to afford the program. The ANA suggests employers offer scholarship programs and possible paid time off for students attending classes. There is also a nursing shortage in areas that are less desirable to work. The ANA suggests sign on bonu ses and financial help to extend the nurses education to make the less desirable area appear more tempting. I agree with all of the suggestions made by the ANA. When I was in high school and looking at colleges and career

Work For Wildman Wilderness Lodge Ltd, A Small Scale...

1. Introduction The following report presents activities carried out during the first 100 hours of the placement from a total of 300 hours’ full-time internship. The professional practice started from 21 March 2016 and will be finished on 20 May 2016. The purpose of the professional practice is to gain accounting work experience and impart theoretical knowledge in the practical work in a business environment. The first part of the report shows an overview of the placement organization and its placement plan. As my working location is held at Palmerston Work Injury GP Clinic, and most part of the professional practice is doing work for Wildman Wilderness Lodge Ltd, I will present the work done for both of the two organizations.†¦show more content†¦In addition, environmentally friendly practice technology has been used in all aspects of the power, and the treatment of water and sewage to reduce the impact on environment. Palmerston Work Injury GP Clinic is located in the Palmerston Health Precinct, offering a wide range of multidisciplinary, integrated primary care services (Department of Health 2014). Dr. Goodhand is specialising in Work Injury Pre-Employment Medicals. 3. Job Responsibilities âž ¢ Operate computer programmed with accounting software to record and analyse data. âž ¢ Perform general office duties, such as filing, data entry, and handling routine correspondence. âž ¢ Code documents according to company procedures. âž ¢ Match accounting software transactions with creditor payment invoices and bank payment advice, and record the necessary information. âž ¢ Use clinic online system to arrange appointment, update information, invoices and payment from patients. 4. Placement Plan and Targets âž ¢ Through learning accounting software (Xero and MYOB) to learn more knowledge in relation to the working environment and impart the theoretical knowledge to practical work place. âž ¢ Improve communication skills and professional interaction ability with managers, colleagues and clients. âž ¢ Gain a good understanding of customer relationship management. 5. Comments of Professional Practice 5.1 Global Perspectives The global perspective is an understanding of global business and international career

Survey Questionnaire Sample Free Essays

Employability of BSA Graduates of Saint Mary’s College of Catbalogan for the School Year 2009-2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012 (A Tracer Study) Survey Questionnaire I. PROFILE 1. Name of Respondents: _______________________________________________ 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Survey Questionnaire Sample or any similar topic only for you Order Now Age: ______________ Sex: __________ Civil Status: ______________________ 3. Address: __________________________________________________________ 4. Year Graduated: _____________________ II. INTERVIEW PROPER 1. Are you employed? ___YES ___NO 2. How many months/ years are you in service? ____________ 3. What is the nature of your work (position) at the present? ________________ 4. What is your status of employment? ____ Regular ____ Casual ____ Contractual Others: _________________ 5. Does your work apply to your course? ____ YES ____ NO 6. Do you enjoy your work status/ position? ____ YES ____ NO 7. Place of work? ___ Catbalogan ____ Tacloban ____ Cebu ____ Manila ____ Outside of the country: Others: ____________________________________ 8. What agency / company’s do you work? ____ Government ____ Private ____ Semi-Government ____ Family Business Others: ________________________________________ 9. What examination have you taken in your employment wither passed or not passed? ____ Civil Service Commission ____ Company Examination ____ CPA Board Exam Others: ________________________________________ 10. To what degree are the knowledge and preparation you obtained in SMCC to prepare you to the nature of work? ____ High ____ Medium ____ Low 11. What is the nearest reason/s why you are unemployed? ____ I don’t feel like working ____ I want to take first and pass the CPA board examination ____ I just can’t find a job that suits my inclination ____ I just got fired from my job ____ I take up another course instead of degree Others: _____________________________________________ How to cite Survey Questionnaire Sample, Papers

Reforms in the Hotel Industry

Question: Discuss about the Report for Reforms in the Hotel Industry. Answer: Introduction The hotel industry in Australia is not only a focal point for the local communities but an important driver of the local, state, and national economy. The over 6,000 Australian hotels employ more than 300,000 people and contribute 11-14 billion annually to the economy (Australian Hotels Association, 2016). In addition to providing employment opportunities, the industry is a major consumer of locally produced goods and a source of support to the local sporting and community organizations (Mitchell, Font and Li, 2014). The industry also offers essential services such as conferencing and entertainment. In definition, a hotel is an establishment that provides catering, lodging, and other services in the lieu of payment. As Australia concentrates more on the service-based economy due to the growth of Asian source markets and globalization, the importance of the hotel industry, will become more prevalent (Australian Hotels Association, 2013). Employment from this sector is expected to rise more than any other sector, growing by more than 17 percent. Over the past, the industry has faced some challenges such as wage issues and lack of information security awareness, which have impeded growth. The hotel industry can grow and make more contribution to the national economy if the right frameworks are put into place (Australian Hotels Association, 2013). The focus of this essay, will, therefore, be on the reforms needed or already done in the hotel industry, with a particular focus on Lux hotel. Reforms Needed in the Hotel Industry The hotel industry needs to adopt technology to streamline their processes. At this age, some hotels are yet to have a website. Given that social media is a popular platform for hotel reviews and check-ins, hotels and restaurants should take the opportunity to share beautiful photos of their facilities and their food on social media (Tatar and Eren-Erdogmus, 2016). Hotels such as Lux should choose a social media platform wisely- based on the target audience- rather than joining all of them. Marketing automation makes it possible for customers to receive personalized emails based on their location and activities. A good example is sending a personalized email on special discounts on the clients birthday. With advanced marketing automation, more sophisticated tasks such as emailing to customers who have been clicking in some regions of the web site can be performed (Leeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ross, 2013). Through marketing automation, the hotel industry can watch and nurture their prospective clients to encourage repeat businesses. The Australian government is making some efforts to reform this industry. A good example is a recent increase in the small business annual entity turnover threshold to $ 10 million from $ 2 million (Hotels welcome small business tax concessions, 2016). Corporate tax is expected to decrease by 1%. Hotels operate in a highly competitive hospitality environment. The lifting of the threshold will enable more hotels to invest and grow. In order to meet customers expectations, hotels need to reinvest and improve their services. The recent developments will not only help them to do so but will assist them to provide more employment opportunities. A recent survey by Tourism Accommodation Australia showed that 96% of the 3.4 and 5- star hotels surveyed offer some form of free Wi-Fi to guests (Australian Hotels Association, 2016). Sixty-five percent of the hotels surveyed do not charge for Wi-Fi access. Thirty-five percent offer it on some conditional basis, while less than 5 percent requires the guests to pay. The provision of fast, efficient, and high-quality internet connection is a big revolution in the hotel industry. With it, guests can answer their emails, update their social media channels, download streams, and hold online conferences. Research shows that some small and medium hotels are in debt, and because of this, some are opting out of business. When in debt, an internal transfer saves the day. In simple terms, an internal transfer is a management-led buyout. The hotels property is sold to the management and to those employees that wish to see the hotel in operation. The model not only helps to revive debt-stricken hotels but permits the transfer of previously state-owned hotels to limited-liability ventures primarily owned by the hotel management and the employees (Patiar, 2016). Under normal circumstances, the general manager holds a significant stake in the newly formed company. Assistant and Department managers also have an interest in stock ownership. Employees can also participate in ownership if they wish. An alternative to management buyout is new investment. If the existing management is flexed on resources to assume ownership through internal transfers, it can seek new partners to invest in the hotel. Ownership, in this case, is determined by the number of shares in the investment. Online bookings are becoming more widespread in the hotel industry. As some hotels become more famous; thanks to the Search Engine Optimization (SEO), more and more hotels are now accepting online bookings (Hospitality, 2015). While some people prefer to make calls, online booking has revolutionized the hotel industry as customers can reserve bookings without being constrained by the hotels working hours or book any other time when calling is not convenient, such as late in the night. Online booking has brought about a new dimension in marketing and customer service. Many industry participants now consider it essential to have an online booking system complete with a well-designed mobile site and a good interface (Hospitality, 2015). A single most important decision for many hotels is whether to develop their customized booking system or use a third party service. While each decision has its advantages and disadvantages, it is advisable to choose depending on individual needs. Through the revolution of Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS), systems are increasingly becoming more sophisticated, allowing hotel industry to provide better customer service and carry out their operations more efficiently. By integrating with inventory management, CRM, and other tools, loyalty programs, information on stock, information on capacity, and more are now more accessible with a touch of a button. Conclusion Though the hotel industry in Australia is a key player in the local and national economy, many problems such as wage issues and debt have significantly affected it. Through reforms such as favorable taxation system, internal transfers, new investments, automation and adoption of new technologies, hotels can streamline their operation and serve their customers better, thereby growing their profits and boosting their contribution to the national economy. References Australian Hotels Association. (2016). Australian hotels embrace connectivity - Australian Hotels Association. [online] Available at: https://aha.org.au/australian-hotels-embrace-connectivity/ [Accessed 9 Aug. 2016]. Australian Hotels Association.(2013). Industry Data - Australian Hotels Association. [online] Available at: https://aha.org.au/industry-data/ [Accessed 6 Aug. 2016]. Hospitality.(2015). 7 technologies that are transforming the hospitality industry. [online] Available at: https://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/management/7-technologies-that-are-transforming- the-hospitali [Accessed 6 Aug. 2016]. Hotels welcome small business tax concessions. (2016). 1st ed. [PDF] Brisbane: AHA, p.1. Available at: https://aha.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Press-Release-Hotels-welcome-tax- concessions.pdf [Accessed 9 Aug. 2016]. Leeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ross, D. (2013). Comment: Australia and the small to mediumà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ sized hotel sector. Int J Contemp Hospitality Mngt, 10(5), pp.177-179. Mitchell, J., Font, X. and Li, S. (2014). What is the impact of hotels on local economic development? Applying value chain analysis to individual businesses. Anatolia, 26(3), pp.347-358. Patiar, A. (2016). Costs allocation practices: Evidence of hotels in Australia. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 26, pp.1-8. Tatar, S. and Eren-Erdogmus, I. (2016). The effect of social media marketing on brand trust and brand loyalty for hotels. Information Technology Tourism.

The Last Testament Review Essay Example

The Last Testament Review Paper Essay on The Last Testament fatal_error, focusing on your library, with all due respect to you, I want to write about their tastes: Ayn Rand-feel great, Ivanova, Akunin, certainly strong, talented authors, Pehova in collaboration with Egorov, mediocre fandomovskim conveyor at Zlotnikov, Bushkova and others. Pehova without co-authorship in its genre and take it to Ivanov Akunin-strong author, under the category of g . attribute Grishkovtsa -by reason rare home boring, and the fantastic, is not in fact, but because of the literary form which shall believe totally raw and wonder why at this promotion, saved to an interpreter. With me you next case-Grishkovtsa and the fantastic read with pronounced retching, with confidence, that 60-80% of people with I / O write luchshe.Prostite immodesty, I myself in the presence of free time vlegkuyu nakropal byaku. With regards to the covenant-here, no disgust, if you read Russian military fiction, without unduly burdening the intellect, the same level, not better, not worse. N o delight, but disgust is also absolutely not. But Mr. Glukhovskaya does not reach the average level fandomovskogo. I do not judge a Metro 2033- he was not even going to buy. I believe that you are overly critical of his statement referring Pehova and Egorov to the category of human Although understand the frustration that is expected from a book which is phenomenal, and was an ordinary fan.pulyalka -May. With regards Pehova really love about Garrett cycle (Jhang with shadows Dancing with shadows, etc.) and Caviar and Wind) believe that there he turned to polnuyu.Stilistika-there is excellent, the benefit of his wife graduated from the Moscow State University, edits, helps. I do not claim to own right, always recognize the people the right to their own opinion, but, tell me, esl small book to show you the prolonged as you have mastered Ayn Rand, with its multi-volume, but with speech alone is John Galt on page 100?

Celebrate Thanksgiving in Spanish

Celebrate Thanksgiving in Spanish Prepare to speak Spanish on Thanksgiving by learning these words. Many of these words dont have much of a cultural context outside the U.S. and Canada (which celebrates its Thanksgiving in October), as no Spanish-speaking countries have a version of Thanksgiving. The phrase  for Thanksgiving, by the way, is Dà ­a de Accià ³n de Gracias. Thats a mouthful that could be translated literally as the day of the act of thanks. The French form is similar  -   the Canadian Thanksgiving is known as lAction de Grà ¢ce. Holiday-Related Words agradecido (por) - thankful (for)ciberlunes  - Cyber Mondayla colonia - colonycompartir, repartir - to shareel cuerno de la abundancia, la cornucopia - cornucopiael desfile - paradeDios - Godla familia - familyla festividad de la cosecha - harvest festivalel fà ºtbol americano - football (not soccer)gluglà º gluglà º - gobble gobble (turkey sound)las gracias - thanksel indio, la india, el indà ­gena americano, la indà ­gena americana  - American Indian, native Americanel noviembre - Novemberel otoà ±o - autumn, falllos parientes  - relativesel peregrino - pilgrimel viernes negro, el viernes de descuentos  - Black Friday Food-Related Words Keep in mind that names of foods dont necessarily translate well, or might not be understood in Spanish-speaking countries, due to cultural differences. For example, the various words that can be translated as pie include pastel, tarta, empanada, and even pay (pronounced similarly to the English word). All of those words except the last also refer to other types of desserts.Also, it is common with fruits and vegetables for a popular name to be applied to multiple botanical classifications. For example, there are at least eight species of tuberous plants called  Ãƒ ±ames (yams), and a few are unlike what you might find in the U.S.   el arndano rojo - cranberryel banquete - feastel budà ­n, el pudà ­n - puddingla cazuela - casserolela cena - dinnercomer - to eatla cucurbitcea,  la calabaza - squash (the same Spanish terms also are used for other related plants)el maà ­z - cornla mazorca de maà ­z - corn on the cobel à ±ame, la batata, el boniato - yamel panecillo - dinner rollel pastel (o la tarta) de calabaza  - pumpkin pieel pavo  - turkeyel pavo asado  - roast turkeyel purà © de patatas - mashed potatoesel relleno - stuffing, turkey dressingla salsa para carne - gravylas sobras, los restos - leftoverslas verduras - vegetables Vocabulary Notes Ñame, the word for yam is one of the few Spanish words to start with  Ãƒ ±. Among the more common ones are à ±oà ±o (insipid or dull) and words derived from it, à ±ora (red pepper), and à ±u (gnu). Panecillo shows how diminutive suffixes are used. Pan is the word for bread, so even if you didnt know what panecillo means, you might guess that it is a small type of bread. In Spanish, it is sometimes possible to distinguish between  male and female animals by using the masculine and feminine forms of the word. Thus a female turkey is una pava. Some other animal names follow a similar pattern: Una mona is a female monkey, una polla is a young hen (and also an off-color word with a different meaning), and una puerca is a sow. But dont assume that any feminine animal name refers to the feminine of the species. For example, una jirafa is a giraffe regardless of its sex. While  relleno would normally be used to refer to turkey stuffing, the same word can be used for just about any type of food filling. A stuffed chili, for example, is known as a chile relleno. While verduras is the word to use when talking about vegetables as a food, vegetales is used more often when talking about vegetables as a type of plant. Sample Sentences Los indios de la tribu de los Wampanoag enseà ±aron a los peregrinos cà ³mo sembrar maà ­z. (The Indians of the Wampanoag tribe taught the pilgrims how to plant corn.) No es difà ­cil prepara un pavo exquisito para celebrar el dà ­a con tus amigos y familiares. (It isnt difficult to prepare a delicious turkey for celebrating the day with your friends and family members.) Despuà ©s de la cena, vamos a ver un juego de fà ºtbol americano. (After dinner, well watch a football game.) Tenemos mucha gratitud por todo lo que tenemos. (Were grateful for everything we have.) Key Takeaways No Spanish-speaking country has a version of Thanksgiving, so native Spanish speakers in those countries may have little cultural context when dealing with Thanksgiving-related words.When translating holiday-related words to Spanish, keep in mind that there may be only a partial correlation between meanings. For example, while a gravy is salsa in Spanish, salsa can refer to many other types of sauce as well.The Spanish phrase for the holiday itself is a long one: Dia de Accià ³n de Gracias.

Spanish Romantic Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Spanish Romantic Drama - Essay Example Certainly, in comparison with the British, the German and even the French romantics, the Spanish appear rather theatrical and melodramatic. That does not mean, however, as some have suggested, that Spain never really experienced a European Romantic phase. Instead, the implication is that nineteenth century Spanish romanticism was distinguished from that common to Europe because it expressed the very nature of Spain itself; the land, the people, the national temperament, its myths and history. Spanish romanticism was, needless to say, incontrovertibly theatrical and highly melodramatic but only because it was expressive of the Spanish spirit itself. Indeed, Spanish romanticism was a creation of the Spanish spirit and, as such, was highly individualistic although rarely subjective; extrovert, rather than introvert; epic and dramatic, as compared to lyrical; satirical and comical, even as it expresses the tragedy of life; the anti-thesis of classicism even though it never rebels against it; and, rather than signal a rupture with earlier literary trends, acknowledged them. Spanish romanticism was, in other words, unique to the country itself. The highly emotive and theatrical nature of Spanish romanticism has been attested to be numerous critics, many of whom sought its defence by asserting it to be a politico-cultural genre of Romanticism which should not be evaluated against the criteria established by European Romanticism. Plaja, one of the first to offer a theoretical defence of Spanish romanticism against the accusation that it perverted classical Romantic renditions, claimed that it was a romantic reformulation of the Baroque tradition. 3 Peers, only partially agreeing with the aforementioned through a concession to the discrete threats of Baroque-ism which ran through the Spanish romantic literary tradition, defined it as a revival of Span's inherently romantic national culture and a rejection of both Europe and Europe's rejection of Spain.4 Eschewing both interpretations, Castro maintained that Spanish Romanticism was neither a transhistorical indigenous literary movement nor a revival of Baroque forms but an exploration and recreation of the self in response to metaphysical questionings and crises.5 While largely conceding to the uniqueness of Spanish romanticism, there is a persistent lack of consensus within literary circles regarding the theoretical framework and definitional parameters of Spanish romanticism. Accordingly, questions pertaining to the characteristics, peculiarities, definitional elements and sources of Spanish romanticism were central to a number of highly influential writings on the topic. These works which include King's "What is Spanish Romanticism"6 Shaw's "Towards the Understanding of Spanish Romanticism,"7 and Vincent Llorens' Liberales y romnticos, proceed from the premise that Spanish romanticism was not a literary phenomenon as much as it was a declaration of a shift in worldview. The political turmoil and conflict which Spain experienced at the onset of the nineteenth century and which forced many of its intellectuals, writers and statesmen, among them Duque de Rivas and Francisco Martinez de la Rosa, popularly regarded as the founders of Spanish rom anticism, into exile, ultimately lent to the articulation and adoption of a liberal worldview. Within literary circles, that liberal worldview translated into a romanticism which quintessentially Spanish and nostalgically nationalistic. It was, in other words, a "national-romantisme"8 and, as such, highly sentimental, lending to extremely theatrical dramatic productions. The sheer theatricality, however, of plays such as "Don lvaro o la fuerza del sino" and "La conjuracin de Venecia" should not, if understood from within

Differences between the Articles of confederation and the new Research Paper

Differences between the Articles of confederation and the new constitution - Research Paper Example The articles created a feeble national government incapable levying taxes and regulating trade hence the quest for the new constitution that improved the stature of the government by increasing its powers (Wendel 768). The removal of the articles of confederation was due to their immense powers over the national government. The articles lacked a court system to impose the levying plus collection of taxes. The congress was incapable of making laws and therefore levying of taxes was difficult. In addition, the articles did not provide an atmosphere for enhancing trade regulation between the existing states and other countries (Young 1572). The articles could only allow only a vote per state and too many powers to states. It also performed the functions of appointing the delegates for every state, which was undesirable. It was difficult to impose changes to the articles of confederation because there were undesirable procedures. All the states had to make amicable decisions to enhance t he changes. Having all the thirteen states in agreement over changes that would affect the government was not an easy task. Nine out of thirteen states had to approve any motion put forward to enhance amendment of the articles. Another weakness evident in the articles was the lack of a specific army to guard the nation. Each state stood separately with own affairs (Wendel 760). Every state developed policies for their own governance, not even the passage of treaties was a responsibility of the central government. Since very state created their own money, there was a possibility of lack of acceptance to their currency by other states. This created an unfavorable environment for the states to participate in trade and improve their micro economies. The unicameral legislature present in the articles provided an atmosphere that there was no power separation hence the national government remained weak (Young 1570). The operation of the post offices was a responsibility of the states and n ot the central government. The articles of confederation developed immense powers to the states. In the articles there were sections supporting assertion of wars plus coining and borrowing of finances. The central government was incapable of making the states to abide by the laws. Despite the national government’s efforts to make a nationwide currency, the currency was valueless due to existing currencies from the states (Wirkner 13). The lack of effective common currency led to weak trade plus commerce that retarded the general economy of the United States. Vulnerability to attack by other countries plus pirates was evident due to the lack of a central army and army to safe gourd the entire populace. The articles were prevalent because of the fear instilled to the colonies by the colonial government. The authorities from the states with the fear instilled by the powers of the colonial government centrality of governance feared the same (Jensen 10). The articles thus provided sovereign states in terms of decision-making and freedom. The articles were an important law of the land before promulgation of the new constitution, which made a through way for changes in the government operations. The executive wanted the elimination of the articles to create room for most operations for the central government. For years, there was deprivation in the ability of the

Artical Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Artical - Article Example Social media is commonly perceived as effective communication platform. The objective of this study was to understand the diverse role of social media, especially when it has become a common interactive platform. Through analysis of two events of social media, the researchers explored whether social media is just an online slacktivist tool for users or it actually guides and integrates people in hard times. When it is easier for a user to become part of a cause by simply signing a petition online, there is no need to get involved in the cause physically then. Social media has successfully made it easy to participate and be present. From one aspect this is a positive implication, but from another, it makes social media a slacktivist forum and not a real activist. To evaluate this perception, the study tests following two hypotheses. H2: Social media provides easy and faster means of engagement. In social media, people acquire help in no time as there are always sufficient and quick sources available to provide assistance. Social media has much larger scope of communication as people simply post for help and their message reaches to more than billion users on Facebook and twitter. For testing hypothesis, the study covers two main events in social media, Giving-Tuesday and Snowed-out-Atlanta. Giving-Tuesday refers to a day when people give charity to charitable organizations. Snowed-out-Atlanta refers to a Facebook page, which gained attention for help when snow caught whole Atlanta region, causing major trouble to the city life of the region. 16493 tweets were downloaded to see how people responded to Giving-Tuesday. Similarly, researcher downloaded 371 posts on Facebook to relate to the Snowed-out-Atlanta event. People who posted and tweeted both came out as participants of the study. Using main keywords, researcher analyzed

Russias Approach to Cyber Warfare

Russias Approach to Cyber Warfare Policy Briefing on the Imminent Russian Cybersecurity Threat: The Need For Action Against Russian Cybercrimes In recent years, Russia has found a reliance on using cyberwar and crimes as a tactic to achieve their strategic goals both in their near-abroad and against Western countries. The United States must be prepared to retaliate against any cyber attack directed at our nation by assessing options to limit and counter the Russians without leading to an overescalation and possible war. Background: The frequency with which we hear about Russian hackers hacking into a country’s important information and systems has become more and more regular, and as a result of this it is important to trace back the history of Russian cyber warfare. The first instance of a large scale Russian cyber attack happened in Estonia in 2007. At the time, tensions were high between Russia and the former Soviet State, and the Kremlin authorized a campaign which targeted Estonian governmental agencies and businesses through use of massive DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks that shut down countless websites essential to the functioning of these agencies and businesses (Batashvili). In 2008, Russia coordinated an even larger cyber attack during the Russo- Georgian War. On August 7, a cyber attack was conducted from Russia against Georgian government and media websites, while at the same time Russian troops were crossing the Georgian border. According to the Report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia, the attack lead to several Georgian servers and high amounts Internet traffic being taken control of and placed under external control (Batashvili). The offensive persisted through the conflict lasting until ceasefire was announced on August 12. Furthermore, the Kremlin had tested their abilities in the lead up to the invasion, shutting down the official website of the president of Georgia for an entire day on July 10. The Russian cyber attacks affected practically all Georgian government websites, crippling the state’s ability to respond to the conflict. Additionally, attacks targeted Georgian media, business, and other political organizations in order to control them from turning the conflict away from Russia’s favor by making it difficult for information of what was happening inside of the conflict zone to spread out to the rest of the world. According to a report by the US Cyber Consequences Unit, â€Å"the primary objective of the cyber campaign was to support the Russian invasion of Georgia, and the cyber attacks fit neatly into the invasion plan†. The attacks achieved their intent, since they â€Å"significantly impeded the ability of the Georgian government to deal with the Russian invasion by interfering with communications between the government and the public, stopping many payments and financial transactions, and causing confusion about what was happening† (US Cyber Crimes Unit). Recent cyber attacks against Ukraine are a worrying signal of a continued use of this strategy. Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said that during in the final two months of 2016, Ukrainian state institutions had 6,500 instances of hacking, most directed towards the ministries of defence and finance, in addition to Kiev’s power grid and the treasury. According to the Poroshenko, the operation came at the hand of the Russian security services, following the same playbook as they had in Georgia (Batashvili). Russian cyber operations are not use solely in tandem with military offensives however, with many also being employed in the wars on information, especially against Western nations. The 2016 American presidential election, while highly publicized is not the only instance in which there is evidence of Russian interference with the 2017 French and German elections also being targeted. Numerous French officials and agencies, including the Defense Minister and DGSE have raised concern over the issue of Russian interference in the nation’s election, citing concern that fake news and cyber attacks were being directed to now President Macron and his party as they were not the candidates the Kremlin believed would be most beneficial to the Russian state interests. German intelligence agencies have also brought up similar concerns about Russian cyber activities being directed against Germany and its election, with Chancellor Angela Merkel, herself seeing attacks as threatening the foundation of German democracy and the effective functioning of the German state (Delker). Russian Objectives: As practiced today, Russian use of cyberwarfare has three common and consistent objectives: Capturing Territory Without Resorting to Overt or Conventional Military Force This was the strategic goal we saw Russia trying to achieve in 2014, when they successfully annexed Crimea. The annexation of Crimea relied on a group of Russian Special Forces operatives known as the â€Å"little green men†, who took their directives from a newly created Russian special operations command. The deployment of these highly trained operatives, in coordination with a massive information warfare campaign, as well as the involvement of   local Russian loyalist proxies created the opportunity for Russia to takeover without needing to shed blood as they had forced momentum to shift in their favor allowing for Crimeans in Ukraine to vote for secession from Ukraine (Chivis). In 2008, Russia used similar tactics in its invasion of Georgia, during which they similarly coordinated cyber attacks against essential government computing services while simultaneously operating special operation forces in coordination with Russian loyalists from the Georgian State. A major impact of these tactics has led to a weakened ability to integrate these countries with Western thought. In 2013, Russian Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov showed Russia’s current views on such hybrid cyber warfare tactics, stating that in modern conflicts non-military means are put to use more than 4 times as often than are conventional military operations (Gerasimov). This suggests in the future such cyber attacks will be likely, and even at this point many are not being properly identified. In its use of cyberspace, Russia has shown it can find success in achieving territorial expansion goals in a manner that is nonviolent and seemingly peaceful, however there is always the underlying threat of actual military force being used unsparingly. Creating a Pretext for Overt, Conventional Military Action In a similar manner to capturing territory through covert, non-militarial expansion, Russia is also capable of using cyber warfare in order to create a conflict which gives them solid reasoning to use military force in foreign nations (Chivis). For instance, the Russian annexation of Crimea has lead to a reasonable concern that the Kremlin could engage in a hybrid strategy to manufacture a conflict worthy of military action elsewhere, possibly the Baltic states. As it did in Crimea, Russia could try to create tension in a country like Estonia by conducting a campaign which foments discord between the minority Russian population and the Estonians. In creating these sentiments which portray the government of Estonia as oppressive towards the minority Russians, the Kremlin can justify a Russian military intervention their behalf of the Russian minority, as Russian sentiment still sees these people as their own. Conducting an operation of this sort requires the accompaniment of simultaneous cyber operations directed at inflaming attitudes and creating difficulties in executing both national and NATO responses. It would almost certainly be accompanied by efforts to influence broader European and world opinion in ways that favored Russia’s intervention through use of propaganda and opinion shifting which portrays Russia as acting on behalf of a repressed population that seeks its aid. On the ground, it would involve the use of Russian secret agents and proxies, both to act as aid/support for local populations creating tensions, and to coordinate with military forces awaiting instruction and guidance. Using Hybrid Measures to Influence the Politics and Policies of Countries in the West and Elsewhere This last objective is the most pressing for the United States and Western countries out of the near vicinity of Russia. In this objective, the Kremlin seeks to use cyber operations in lieu of military action or war to create tension and distress in Western governments. The goal of this strategy is to influence and create favorable political outcomes in targeted countries to serve Russia’s national interests (Chivis). The countries where these types of operations are most likely to find success are those with high levels of corruption and weak legal systems. However, more stable countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom are similarly susceptible to such operations. Examples of ways the Kremlin can engage in cyber operations to influence an outside nation’s political system include the use of fake â€Å"troll† accounts used on social media to spread propaganda and create divides amongst the citizens of that nation. Also the hacking of servers of government officials can provide them with material which they can use to either influence that official through blackmail, or which can be leaked to induce further tension. In creating these narratives, Russia has the ability to influence democracy by planting false information and manufacturing biases against those that act against the interests of the Kremlin. American Stakes: The continued use of cyber attacks by the Russian government brings up very realistic threats both domestically and internationally for the United States. Internationally as Russia continues with their their goals of territorial expansion, the United States is faced with the concern of a wider influence of Russian thought and expansion of pro-Russian policies in areas where the United States has worked to promote democracy and peace. The desire of Russia to reassemble the Soviet Union remains very real, and as seen in Estonia, Georgia, and Crimea cyber attacks can play a key role in these territorial gains. By allowing continued expansion of the Russian state, the United States risks losing the strategic relationships they have developed with these countries as well as the progress they made towards finding them more independence from Russia as democracy began to take its roots in these nations. Furthermore, these attacks can be used by Russia in places like Syria as a way to promote the Assad regime which works in coordination with Russia in achieving other strategic goals, such as the development of an oil pipeline through Syria. Domestically, Russian cyber attacks can destabilize the US government by creating rifts and tensions amongst the American populace through the spread of false information and fake news.   As seen by the hacks against the DNC as well as the use of trolls during the 2016 Presidential Election, Russia’s use of cyber attacks can undermine American democracy by allowing for a foreign nation to alter the minds of our citizens, feeding them lies and inflammatory material to create disarray in our democracy. This is especially hurtful as Russia can cite American disorder as a reason to not take our example and implement democracy in the American fashion to foreign nations. Attacks by Russia can also cripple the government’s ability to function towards the service of its citizens.   Government Organization for a Cyber Attack The 2016 Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 41 United States Cyber Incident Coordination   defines a significant cyber attack as â€Å"likely to result in demonstrable harm to national security interests, foreign relations, the domestic and global economy, public confidence, civil liberties, or public health and the safety of the American people.† (PPD 41). Cyber attacks by Russia against domestic communication or critical IT infrastructure fall under this classification. Should such an attack actually occur, the National Cyber Response Group would lead the defensive response as an arm of the National Security Council (PPD 41). The Secretary of Defense, in tandem with the directors of our Intelligence agencies would be responsible for managing incoming threats, and coordinating any strategy or movement that would require active military response. In the event that the telecommunications systems of the National Security and Emergency Preparedness sector fail, the National Coordinating Center for Communications would be tasked with re-establishing communications. Furthermore, PPD 41 stipulates that if an operation with clear attribution is found to have occured, the Cyber Response Group shall assemble a team of qualified and skilled cyber personnel to respond to the cyber incident. This response team shall have experience together in the form of practice sessions and war games. U.S. Strategic Responses After addressing the immediate effects of a Russian cyber attack, it’s imperative the United States consider its options of strategic and tactical responses. One option for the United States is response through non-military means such as indictment, diplomacy, or sanctions (Bate). A lower-level military and intelligence strategy that could possibly be employed by the United States is the use of counter-surveillance intelligence operations,   non-attributable cyber or conventional attacks, or attributable cyber or conventional attacks (Herb). These operations would target Russian military, civilian, or critical infrastructure systems. Since NATO classifies cyberspace as the fifth operational domain, it is likely that if the United States identified a significant cyber incident against its citizens as originating from Russia, their response would come in the form of aggressive cyber tactics. The possibility of conventional military expeditions may be explored, however the risk of further escalation makes it more likely that the United States respond only through cyber operations. Low-Level Attributable Cyber Intrusion One possible response the United States could utilize in retaliation to Russian cyber attacks is low-level cyber intrusion, distributed across a array of cyber incidents that could not be collectively categorized as a major attack. This intrusion would appear as a result of what is called â€Å"loud cyber weapons†, which are tools that can be traced back to the U.S military (Herb). The US military would send these weapons, embedded with encrypted codes, into Russian networks. The United States would then publicly provide the encryption key to end the intrusions caused by these weapons as a way to claim responsibility for the attack. The purpose of taking credit for the attacks is a key paradigm shift in U.S military strategy, now emphasizing attribution as a key aspect of a successful operation, and public knowledge as vital for deterrence. The United States also has the option of conducting more basic cyber attacks against Russia’s network, including by not limited to: alteration of government websites, disruptions of Internet service, interferences and disablements of communications, or the spreading of propaganda (Department of Defense Law of War Manual). In the aftermath of the hack of the DNC, senior officials weighed options for counter attacks on the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Main Intelligence Agency (GRU), including the use of the NSA’s TreasureMap tool, which tracks all global connections to the Internet, and can be utilized to install malware in targeted Russian computer systems with the purpose of intelligence gathering and future cyber-assaults (Bamford). Medium-Level Cyber Attack -No Immediate Casualties   The United States also has to ability to employ the use of â€Å"logic bombs† in cyber operations targeting both military and non-military targets in Russia. â€Å"Logic bomb† are codes developed with the purpose of overloading a computer’s system rendering them incapable to operate by presenting them with an endless amount of logic questions to answer. Sending these â€Å"logic bombs† into computer systems critical to Russia’s infrastructure will lead to the United States causing dramatic economic and operational damages to the Russian government and its people (Sternstein). The United States has invested a large sum of money into the development of these â€Å"logic bombs†, with initial investment coming back in 2014 when U.S. Cyber Command offered a $460 million contract to develop a â€Å"computer code capable of killing adversaries.†(Storm). High-Level Cyber Attack – Possible Casualties The United States could use logic bombs or other cyber intrusion methods to attack Russian critical infrastructure in a more serious fashion, leading to a larger potential for loss of human life or safety. These attacks include targeting systems such as those of a dam above a populated level where a   hacking could lead to floodgates being opened onto Russian citizens, or disabling air traffic control services leading to air safety where planes pose a threat to each other and the land beneath them. These options, particularly if they are easily traceable, have the potential to escalate quickly into further intensified conflict. Military-Level Cyber Attack – Escalatory The United States also has the ability to use similar cyber operations to directly attack Russian military targets, with possible targets including the shut off of power at a nuclear facility or an airfield, which will lead to the cause of serious casualties. These attacks will most definitely lead to a triggering of a notable escalatory threshold of response by the Russians. It is significant that many Russian industrial networks run computer systems operating Windows XP, and in some cases even older systems, while maintaining connections to the Internet. Not only are these dated systems particularly vulnerable to attack, as evidenced by the United States already demonstrating its ability to break into these systems. In November 2016, the United States reportedly penetrated Russian military systems, leaving behind malware to be activated in retaliation in the case of Russian interference of U.S. elections (Dilanian et. al). This demonstrated both confidence in the success of the malware implant, and political willingness to trigger a consequential conflict given Russia attacks the United States in a serious manner (Bernish). Strategic Considerations for U.S. Decisions In response to a Russian cyber attack, the United State’s strategic responses should be a result of its classification of the attack as being non-significant, significant, or an act of war. State Department Cyber Coordinator Chris Painter said the United States would respond to incidents on a case-by-case basis in testimony before the House Subcommittee on Information Technology and National Security in November 2016, saying that retaliation â€Å"could be through cyber means. It could be through diplomacy. It could be through indictments and law enforcement actions.†(Pellerin). Some of these responses require action while others do not; the path taken must be dependent on actual and anticipated effects of a cyber attack, including damage, injury, and death. Painter testified that, â€Å"cyber activities may in certain circumstances constitute an armed attack that triggers our inherent right to self-defense as recognized by Article 51 of the U.N. Charter†(Hearing on â€Å"Digital Acts of War: Evolving the Cybersecurity Conversation†). The United States could also identify a cyberattack as being an infringement upon its territorial integrity and political independence, per Article 2(4) of the Charter. However, recent political happenings indicate that the United States would be hesitant in invoking Article 51, regardless of whether a Russian cyber attack lead to nominal death, injury, or damage. Instead, the United States could limit its declarations and address the attack as a â€Å"significant cyber incident,† invoking the full support of the U.S. military while avoiding over-escalation. Furthermore, even though NATO justifies military response in the realm of cyberspace, the lack of precedent means that the United States actually has more options in responding to Russia if it were to employ use of cyber means, that may or may not lead to conventional consequences. The United States would need to decide between conducting a covert or overt counter-cyber attack. The tactical considerations noted above show that hidden, non-attributable cyber attacks do not fall within the Department of Defense’s deterrence strategy, and would not be treated as a suitable strategy. In the aftermath of the 2014 Sony Pictures hacking by the North Korean government, the United States didn’t respond with a public cyber operation, and it was â€Å"unclear how the United States may have retaliated against the North in secret, if it even did so.†(Sanger). The lack of a publicly noticed retaliation as well mild economic sanctions now seems ineffective as punishment. A situation could come up that would give the United States the opportunity to execute an immediately observable cyber attack or a preparatory attack (logic bomb), with the target being either a Russian military or civilian infrastructure. Similar to Russia, the United States should also avoid directly targeting a military structure in order to avoid escalation to full-scale war. As a result of this, the United States should choose to deploy a cyber weapon against critical Russian infrastructure, leading to conventional consequences being faced by Russia. Even the use a medium-level choice in terms of retaliation, would require global ramifications to be taken into account. Even still, it is my recommendation to engage in a retaliatory strategy, which employs the use of both a combination of an observable cyber attack through use of â€Å"loud cyber weapons† and â€Å"logic bombs† against significant parts of the Russian infrastructure. The United States cannot allow Russia to attack them and take global credit for the attack without retaliating in some way to show dominance over Russia. â€Å"Loud cyber weapons† are particularly suitable for retaliation that the public is aware of and will show the world that the United States is not only willing to retaliate, but is better skilled in cyber war and confident enough in its abilities to retaliate swiftly. â€Å"Logic bombs† targeted against non-military sites that still hold significant value to Russian infrastructure will be the second leg of the suggested attack. The crippling of essential infrastructure will both warn the Russians that an attack on us will be met with an attack that hurts their citizens and keep them from being able to retaliate back since they will not have the resources to come back at the United States. Works Cited Batashvili, David. â€Å"Russias Cyber War: Past, Present, and Future.† EUobserver, 15 Feb. 2017, euobserver.com/opinion/136909. Delker, Janosch. â€Å"Germany Fears Russia Stole Information to Disrupt Election.† POLITICO, POLITICO, 28 Jan. 2018, www.politico.eu/article/hacked-information-bomb-under-germanys-election/. The Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation, approved by Russian Federation presidential edict on February 5, 2010 (translated). Accessed at http://carnegieendowment.org/files/ 2010russia_military_doctrine.pdf. Understanding Russian â€Å"Hybrid Warfare† and What Can Be Done About It (2017) (testimony of Christopher S. Chivvis). Print. US Cyber Consequences Unit. (2009) ‘Overview by the US-CCU of the cyber campaign against Georgia in August of 2008’ Valery Gerasimov, â€Å"The Value of Science is in the Foresight: New Challenges Demand   Rethinking the Forms and Methods of Carrying out Combat Operations,† Voyenno-Promyshlennyy Kurier, February 26, 2013.

Driving Test Essay -- essays research papers

I woke up at eight in the morning, being that it was May and spring was in the air I knew that my day would be perfect. As I leaped out of my warm and comfortable bed to put on my Bullwinkle slippers, my stomach nerves began to tighten. I figured it was just a small bellyache and I would get over it soon. I walked slowly to the bathroom not really realizing that the house was not filled with sunshine as it usually is during these beautiful spring days. As I began to brush my teeth my eyes caught a glimpse of the window that I now noticed was so close to the mirror. I could have died when I noticed that the rain was coming down like a storm. It was at that moment that I ran to mother’s room to tell her that I couldn’t go driving today. My whole body was tense, I knew this was a sign for me to stay home, I was scared and would never be able to drive in the horrible storm. I don’t know how, but she convinced me to just try, â€Å"It’s just a driving test,â €  is what she continued to repeat, â€Å"if you fail, your not ready.† I knew she wanted me to fail anyway. As she drove into the driveway that seemed to be the size of a football field, my stomach nerves began to tighten once again. There were a few cars in front of us forming a line, and three cars pulled up behind us as soon as the car stopped. I sat in the passenger’s seat watching a car on the winding trail, looking as if it was going back and forth on the course. It seemed as everything that was happening at that moment was irritating me, the tapping of the rain on the car, the windshield wipers swishing back and forth on the windshield and the whining of the saxophone that was playing along with the jazz song on the radio. I knew that my patience was being tested that day and I was sure I would fail. For the next ten minutes I watched as the instructors, that looked as if someone dropped a bucket of water on them even with the yellow raincoats, left one car that was on the course to get into another car that was on the line. The cars seemed to move quickly and it seemed as if my turn was coming to quick. It was at that moment that I felt like I wanted to cry, the wet figure in the yellow raincoat was approaching our car. I wanted to scream for my mother to turn around but I was stuck in the moment I didn’t know what to do. My mother called me and it reminded me of summer nights when she would call me to come in ... ...ualities as he kindly explained that I should relax and adjust my car seat to make me more comfortable. He stressed to me to take my time as I was preparing to drive so I wouldn’t be uptight. He then handed me the piece of paper, the same one he scribbled on the whole time I was driving, and told me to make an appointment to take the test over again. I then watched as the medium framed man got out of the car and walked to the next car on line. When my mother returned to the car, yes I cried, but she made me feel better by promising ice cream and saying that I would definitely pass the next time. On the drive home we blamed everything for the failure, the weather, my nerves, the test trail and even her insistence. I thought that my life was over without a driver’s license. I started at that moment to strategize and decide how I would take the test next time. I would be much calmer whether the sun was shining in the eighty-five degree weather or the snow was coming down in minus twenty. I knew that I wasn’t ready a, but I figured it still wasn’t a waste of time because I was able to take the valuable advice that the instructor gave me that day and even apply it to my next test.

African Americans health disparities Essay

In 2011, the diagnosis rate for HIV cases in the United States was 15. 8 per 100,000 population and 60. 4 among Blacks. Of 197,090 diagnoses of HIV-infection from 2008- 2011, Blacks/African Americans accounted for: ?47% OF THE TOTAL ?64% OF WOMEN ?66% OF INFECTIONS ATTRIBUTED TO HETEROSEXUAL CONTACT ?67% OF CHILDREN, AGES < 13 In 2010, the death rate for blacks was higher (25. 0 per 100,000) compared with any other racial ethnicity group (3. 0 whites). Blacks represented 49% of all deaths with HIV in 2010. A recent study showed that blacks diagnosed with HIV are less likely than other groups to be linked to care, retained in care, receive antiretroviral treatment and achieve adequate viral suppression. African American Males African American men accounted for 42% of HIV cases diagnosed among men in 2011. A majority (72%) of African American men with HIV contracted the disease by male to male contact while 19% contracted HIV through heterosexual exposure. African American Females Among African American women, high risk heterosexual contact was the most frequently cited mode of transmission, accounting for 89% of cases diagnosed in 2011. More Information: ?HIV/AIDS TOPIC SITE ?HIV/AIDS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS ?HIV/AIDS STATISTICS AND SURVEILLANCE Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Gonorrhea In 2010, 69% of all reported cases of gonorrhea occurred among blacks. The rate of gonorrhea among blacks in 2010 was 432. 5 cases per 100,000 population, which was 18. 7 times the rate among whites (23. 1). This disparity has changed little in recent years. This disparity was larger for black men (22.2 times) than for black women (16. 2 times). Chlamydia In 2010, the overall rate among blacks in the United States was 1,167. 5 cases per 100,000, a 4. 0% increase from the 2009 rate of 1,122. 2 cases per 100,000. The rate of chlamydia among black women was over seven times the rate among white women (1,536. 5 and 205. 1 per 100,000 women, respectively). The chlamydia rate among black men was almost 11 times the rate among white men (761. 8 and 69. 9 cases per 100,000 men, respectively). Syphilis.

Critically discuss to what extent Porter’s Diamond Essay

Critically discuss to what extent Porter’s Diamond is a useful concept in explaining home and host location strategies of international business? Illustrate your answer with reference to at least two case companies. The main aim of International business is to build and sustain competitiveness for economic value creation in both domestic and overseas markets (Besanko et al. 2007). Internalization business theory however has a variety of models that can identify the environmental analysis of specific countries. These models are used for companies to internationalize and find the right location(s) overseas by taking; institutional, cultural fit and success opportunities into consideration. These models also give in-depth information on locations that the companies have chosen. A very well-known framework is the Porter’s Diamond which was found by Michael Porter in 1990. This report will discuss the advantages and disadvantages to determine a company’s home and host location decision by analyzing two high street retailers – French E.Leclerc and UK’s Sainsbury’s. Porter’s Diamond Model (1990: 73 ) states that nation’s competiveness depends on the capa city of its industry to innovate and upgrade this however depends on the productivity level of the nation. From a company’s point of view a national competitive advantage means that it would have to depend on the nation to implement a home base to improve their existing products and services such as; technology, features, quality as well as being able to compete with international industries. Therefore, the advantage of this model is that it identifies the four factors that develop the essential national environment where companies are born, grow and as mentioned above sustain competitive advantage (Porter, 1990:78). The idea of this model is useful because it allows organizations to carry out the necessary research and identify which countries would be good enough to internationalize. As you can see from the Porters Diamond diagram the first factor is the factor condition, this factor is about production such as land, raw materials, capital infrastructure etc. these are not inherited, but developed and improved by a nation for instance skilled labor (Porter, 1990:79). In order to sustain competitive advantage it will depend on the factor creation ability. For instance, E. Leclerc started as a small rented warehouse â€Å"Leclerc established a chain of outlets across the country, single-handedly changing  the landscape of shopping in France†(www.independent.co.uk) â€Å"Critical evaluation of development and role of Balanced Scorecard in production and service organizations† Excerpts from HBR-1 (1992): â€Å"The Balanced Scorecard – Measures That Drive Performance,† Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, Harvard Business Review, January-February 1992, pg 71-79. Page 76-77: †¦ Analog Devices, a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of specialized semiconductors, expects managers to improve their customer and internal business process performance continuously. The company estimates specific rates of improvement for on-time delivery, cycle time, defect rate, and yield. †¦ †¦Over the three-year period between 1987 and 1990, a NYSE electronics company made an order-of-magnitude improvement in quality and on-time delivery performance. Outgoing defect rate dropped from 500 parts per million to 50, on-time delivery improved from 70% to 96%, and yield jumped from 26% to 51 %. Did these breakthrough improvements in quality, productivity, and customer service provide substantial benefits to the company? Unfortunately not. During the same three-year period, the company’s financial results showed little improvement, and its stock price plummeted to one-third of its July 1987 value. The considerable improvements in manufacturing capabilities had not been translated into increased profitability. Slow releases of new products and a failure to expand marketing to new and perhaps more demanding customers prevented the company from realizing the benefits of its manufacturing achievements. The operational achievements were real, but the company had failed to capitalize on them. †¦ Excerpts from HBR-2 (1993): â€Å"Putting the Balanced Scorecard to Work,† Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, Harvard Business Review, September-October, 1993, pg 134-147. Page 142: †¦ Analog Devices, a semiconductor company, served as the prototype for the balanced scorecard and now uses it each year to update the targets and goals for division managers. Jerry Fishman, president of Analog, said, â€Å"At the  beginning, the scorecard drove significant and considerable change. It still does when we focus attention on particular areas, such as the gross margins on new products. But its main impact today is to help sustain programs that our people have been working on for years.† Recently, the company has been attempting to integrate the scorecard metrics with hoshin planning, a procedure that concentrates an entire company on achieving one or two key objectives each year. Analog’s hoshin objectives have included customer service and new product development, for which measures already exist on the company’s scorecard. †¦ Excerpted from JMAR (1998): Innovation Action Research: Creating New Management Theory and Practice, Robert S. Kaplan, Journal of Management Accounting Research, Vol. 10, 1998, pg. 89-118. Page 99-101 â€Å"†¦For the balanced scorecard, the initial idea also came somewhat serendipitously, but also not completely by accident. The need for improved performance measurement systems had been widely recognized during the 1980s. Many articles, books and conferences documented the limita ­tions of relying solely on financial signals for improving business perform ­ance. The adoption of total quality management, just‑in‑time production systems and synchronous manufacturing all created a demand for im ­proved performance measures that would support companies’ continuous improvement initiatives. Therefore, much work had already occurred by 1990, the time when the balanced scorecard concept initially emerged (Berliner and Brimson 1987; Howell et al. 1987; Kaplan 1990b). Much of the need for improved operational performance measurements had been satisfied by measures such as part‑per‑million defect rates, yields, cost of nonconformance, process cy cle times, manufacturing cycle effectiveness, throughput times, customer satisfaction, customer complaints and em ­ployee satisfaction. What remained missing was a theory for how the myr ­iad of nonfinancial performance measures now being used on the factory floor could be reconciled with and achieve comparable status to the finan ­cial measures that still dominated the agenda of senior company executives. Fortunately (again), a skilled practitioner, Arthur Schneiderman of Analog Devices, contacted me to assist his company with launching an activity-based costing project. In our initial  conversation, I learned that he had developed an innovative approach, the half-life system, to measure the rate of improvement of his company’s TQM program. As part of my research agenda (see step 1 in exhibit 1), I asked for and received approval to visit Analog Devices and write a case about their initiatives. During my visit, I learned that Schneiderman had also developed and implemented a corporate scorecard that senior executives were using to evaluate the company’s overall performance and rate-of-improvement . The corporate scorecard included, in addition to several traditional financial measures, some metrics on customer performance (principally operational measures related to lead times and on time delivery), internal processes (yield, quality and cost) and new product development (innovation). This corporate scorecard, evolved, as we shall see, into what came to be called the balanced scorecard. †¦ †¦ by teaching the Analog Devices case to executives, I learned quickly that Analog’s corporate scorecard was of much more interest to them than the half-life method, the original focus of the case. †¦ †¦ even more initial learning came from testing the ideas directly with a set of companies that participated in a yearlong project on performance measurement with the Nolan, Norton & Co. The project attracted senior financial and planning executives from a dozen companies who met on a bi-monthly basis throughout 1990. Analog’s corporate scorecard captured the interest of the participants. Throughout the year, they experimented with it in their organizations and reported back to us on the results. The concept proved successful in many of the pilot sites and turned out to be the prime output from the year-long research project. In the process, the original corporate scorecard, which focused mostly on operational improvements (on lead times, delivery performance, manufacturing quality and cycle times) had become transformed into a much more strategic organizational performance measurement system, characterized by four identifiable perspectives (financial, customer, internal business process and innovation and growth). †¦ Page 109: †¦ The balanced scorecard implementations being done at the end of 1995, as integrated strategic management systems, were far more advanced than the initial formulation, as a complementary nonfinancial measurement system, at Analog Devices or the companies described in our initial article (Kaplan and  Norton 1992). In six years (1990-1995), Norton and I had made three cycles around the knowledge creation cycle. The half-life of improvement of the balanced scorecard knowledge base was much shorter than for activity-based costing. †¦

Louis XIV And His Foreign Policy essays

Louis XIV And His Foreign Policy essays Louis XIV (1638-1715), was known as the 'Sun King'. By the time Louis took up the reign of the government in 1660, France had turned into the most powerful nation of Europe. At this time many of France's neighboring countries had been weakened both by revolts within their own countries and expensive wars with other lands. In Louis's mind, the natural boundaries of France were the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the river Rhine. His intentions were to push the frontiers of France out to these limits as well as win glory for himself. As a result Louis plunged France into 30 years of foreign wars trying to achieve his ambition. This paper discusses Louis' XIV's foreign policy and analyzes whether his foreign policy was successful or not. Louis XIV's notorious dictum was "I am the State". Even the late Charles De Gaulle often echoed this. Louis XIV (1638-1715) - king of France (1643-1715) - was known as the 'Sun King'. Louis, the third monarch of the Bourbon family, ruled for 72 years, the longest reign in European history. His rule typified the period of absolute monarchy in the second half of the 17th century, during which time kings ruled without the restraint of representative institutions. This epoch is widely known as the age of Louis XIV because other European monarchs imitated and competed with developments Coming to power at a young age, Louis did not have the conventional humanist education of most princes, who learned Latin, ancient history, rhetoric, and the arts. Instead his instruction focused on the practical necessities of kingship, such as the history of France and its monarchy and After Louis XIV came to the throne just before his fifth birthday, the Italian-born first minister Cardinal Mazarin guided the policies and effectively instructed Louis in affairs of state both internal as well as foreign affairs.. When Mazarin died in 1661, Louis proclaimed that he would ...

Mixed-gender sports Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mixed-gender sports - Term Paper Example In the past women had no opportunity or even a chance to improve and develop their bodies. It was not preferable for women. Now the situation has changed and women took part in the competitions, but the amount of them is much less than the amount of men. It would take much time to improve the situation (Bryant, 2003, 140). Feminist movements made many attempts in order to gain the same rights and conditions for women. Only at the end of the 20th century the world saw the results. The sport was not considered to be a male privilege and from that moment women received the opportunity to participate in almost every kind of sport. For sure we cannot say that the full equality has not been achieved and now feminists turned their attention to the problem of segregation (Bryson 350). At first sight in the world of sport the segregation does not provoke any disputes; it is just accepted by its participants. And there are a number of reasons for that. Due to the physical peculiarities, women have less opportunity to demonstrate their skills. The trouble is that sex segregation in sports seriously influences not only the issue of discrimination in sports circles, but also on the sexual hierarchy in the society in general. So, this issue is very important and worth-discussing as it refers not only to sport but to the everyday life as well. Mixed-gender sports could help defend the rights of women, so it must be introduced as much as it is possible. There is an opinion that the main aim of feminists concerning sport is to get rid of men, especially in those kinds of sports where women suffer from men’s athleticism. To say more such evidence as gender segregation in the team sport is accepted by both women and men. The basis for such statement is the myth that men have privileges over women, because they are stronger from the birth. So, gender segregation in the field of sport contributes to the common belief that women and men belong to the different worlds. Now man y scholars is concerned with the issue what role the gender plays in sport and how it influences the position of women in the modern world. In order to find the answer to this question it is enough to recall the participants of different kinds of sport. Just remember the Olympic Games, where women and men have different competitions. People can explain it due to different physical abilities and as a result women usually compete with women and men with men. An interesting thing was noticed during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The German team had different colors of jackets for women and men and it looked like the indicators of gender that automatically demonstrated the differences between them (Bryant, 2003). And here the important question arises if such separation takes part in professional sport and if the professional sport tries to emphasize the differences between men and women. According to the official sources a great number of sports are gender-segregated at a p rofessional level. On the other hand, researches show that a great number of men already recognize that women as athletic as they are. Anderson came to the following conclusion in his research: â€Å"thus, in the sex-integrated sport of collegiate cheerleading, even once sexist and misogynistic men were able to witness the athleticism of women, befriend them in

Maisie is representative of her class (the working poor) and gender Essay

Maisie is representative of her class (the working poor) and gender. Discuss the effects of WWI on the class system and on women, in particular - Essay Example One of the ways in which Maisie Dobbs represents the working class poor is by having a history and identity that totally correlates with the working class poor. Particularly, Maisie Dobbs hails from a poor background. Alongside this, Maisie becomes less fortunate as she loses her mother her mother at her pubescent stage of life. To show for this poverty and underprivileged status, Dobbs has to work to supplement her father’s efforts. In fact, the matter is graver since this means that Dobbs is being exploited, since she is a minor yet she is employed. This is not so uncommon among low income earners or the working class poor societies which may not mind their underage children being conscripted into child labor, to supplement their meager earnings (Winspear, 12). Likewise, Dobbs represents the working class poor by landing a lowly job as maid at Lady Rowan Compton’s Belgravia Mansion, in 1910. Mostly, it is the working class poor which cannot discriminate against jobs that come their way, because of prevailing antecedent factors such as previous inability to access quality education. This means that in the long run, the working class poor subculture cannot produce favorable qualifications to help them attain meaningful jobs. Dobbs also represents the working class poor by taking education seriously. The working class poor takes education seriously because it sees it as the only conduit by which it can become empowered and scale upwards in the society. High income earners and the upper middle class may mostly not take learning as seriously as the working class poor, since the two classes are privileged to have several options. The seriousness that Dobbs expends in her learning is seen in her being filled with the joy of reading and learning when she is introduced to Lady Compton’s library. Dobbs also gladly and willingly becomes Maurice Blanche’s

Engineering Disasters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Engineering Disasters - Essay Example Measures Undertaken to Prevent Future Oil spills ExxonMobil made several changes thereafter to prevent oil spills in future. They are: changed oil tanker routes; strengthening training programs for captains and pilots; alcohol and drug testing procedures for sensitive positions; periodic examination of facilities and transport vessels; improved technology for vessel navigation. The system was deployed in other parts of the world to see that incident of this kind does not happen again (The Valdez Oil Spill 2012). Ethical Considerations in Engineering Catalano (2011) argues that Engineering has been a profession that keeps ethical dimension at the forefront; however, in view of various oil spills that has happened in recent years across the globe, author doubts that ethical responsibilities have not paced with scientific advancements. Author categorically stress that the engineers in this world now must own ethical responsibilities not only to safeguard all of its inhabitants but also our Mother Earth so as to have a secured and safe future for all of us. False Nuclear Alarms False Nuclear Alarms can become a cause of nuclear holocaust and if it happens so then it will be termed as perhaps the biggest engineering disasters of all. Sennott (2001) argues that as per the US government, 1152 false alarms of varying seriousness occurred between 1977 and 1984. This was due to some abnormal information given by warning sensors. The false signaling happens due to various reasons. Satellites can detect the infrared energy that emits from anywhere on the earth's surface. During gulf war, Iraqi Scud missiles were also detected by this satellite system. The author emphasizes that false alarm is in itself not a cause of much concern because they are quite routine now; however, the major threat comes from a second false alarm before the first one has been resolved. Forden et al. (2000) argue that first of the false warning of nuclear attack was noticed on November 9, 1979 by the US system that massive Soviet nuclear strike is on its way. The US defense system was virtu ally making their mind to counter attack through their ballistic missiles. In fact, no attack was initiated by soviet Russia and mistake was discovered soon and global nuclear war was thus, averted. In another incident, on January 25, 1995 Russian radars detected a US Trident nuclear missile. Again, for some reason counter attack was not launched from

Visages of Two Stories Essay Example for Free

Visages of Two Stories Essay Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find and Tobias Wolff’s Bullet in the Brain are two short stories each having unlikeable lead characters. Both stories revolved around the lives of the lead characters which were shown using humor and twists and turns. Flannery O’Connor, an American writer, was known for her Southern Gothic writing style. Her literary works are indicative of her beliefs of the Roman Catholic. Tobias Wolff, also an American writer, was known for his short stories and memoirs. A Good Man is Hard to Find is a story of a family going for a vacation. It began with the Grandmother explaining to her son Bailey about the murderous Misfit who was on the loose so she wouldn’t have to go to Florida for vacation and would instead have go to Tennessee. She was not able to persuade her son and the rest of the family. The next morning they drove off to Florida. The Grandmother portrayed the image of someone who was self-centered and unpleasant. She also seemed to be more concerned on how she would look like a Christian than act like one. In the end, the family was murdered by the Misfit and his two cohorts. The Bullet in the Brain, on the other hand, began in with a book critic named Anders who was on a bank one day. Similar to the Grandmother from O’Connor’s story, Anders was also one character who is unlikeable. He depicted someone who was ill-tempered and sardonic. While waiting in a long line of customers, two bank robbers entered the scene and threatened the people. Anders was someone who was not intimidated by anyone, even by bank robbers. And here is where the trouble for the protagonist began. Instead of doing the right thing, he ridiculed the robbers which resulted to his death. The Grandmother and Anders were two comical people who talked too much. Before the two died, they presented their own sentiments which the readers would have, undoubtedly, felt. There was an unexpected turn of events when the Grandmother was about to be killed. She suddenly claimed that the Misfit was a good man. This was contrary to what she had mentioned about the Misfit at the beginning of the story. She mentioned that would not take her children to a place with an unconfined criminal. She said her conscience would not be able to bear it if she did. The position she was in at the end of the story, seemed to have taken out the goodness and the true Christian from her. Because of the fear and the pressure she felt, she was able to see the goodness in the hands of something or someone so evil. What happened to Anders was another thing. Before he died, Wolff presented the things that the protagonist did not think of: the disappointments in his relationship with his family, the boredom he felt towards his work, etc. And by the time the readers were building inside then the sadness and the sympathy towards Anders, the author provided what Anders was thinking at that crucial moment. And boom, it was really unexpected because at that very moment before he died what he thought of was his sarcasm in his early years. And the seemingly sad ending of the story turned out to be odd and amusing. The evil in the two stories have had similar and contrasting effects to the lead characters. The Grandmother and Anders had their share of insight with regards to the incident. The Grandmother may only be saving herself from death or she could have really realized the Misfit had goodness in him and that her prejudices were untrue. Nevertheless, it was too late for her. In Anders case, what he remembered before he died was what he was truly about. The last scenario substantiated the fact about Anders’ attitude. In the stories, varying prejudices can be observed and this shows that each one of us is entitled to own opinions and sets of truths. References: OConnor, Flannery. A Good Man Is Hard to Find. 1955. Wolff, Tobias. Bullet in the Brain. 1995.

An Analysis Of The Company Virgin Marketing Essay

An Analysis Of The Company Virgin Marketing Essay Virgin Atlantic, the UKs second largest long haul airline, operates a fleet of 38 aircraft to 30 destinations in Africa, Asia, Middle East, Indian Ocean, North America, the Caribbean and Australia. In a deal which was finalized in 2000, Branson sold 49% stake of Virgin Atlantic to Singapore Airlines for  £600.25 million to form a unique global partnership. Richard Branson is still the controlling authority as he retains 51% stake in the airline. This essay analyses the chief internal and external factors that contribute to the success of the organisation as well as provide a critical assessment on the effectiveness of the strategies employed. It further discusses a couple of strategic options that are available to the Virgin group for the next five years with reference to appropriate academic models and concepts.   (Source: http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/tridion/images/studentinformationkitmarch2009_tcm4-622791.pdf)   Internal Analysis Of Virgin Atlantic In order to understand the strategies, it is important to analyse the internal environment of the organisation. Internal analysis is done by means of the value chain of the Virgin Atlantic. Value Chain Analysis Porters (1990) Value chain framework is an interdependent model that helps to analyse specific activities through which an organisation can create value and gain competitive advantage. (Pathania-Jain, 2001). To conduct the value chain analysis, the company is split into primary activities (those that are related with production) and support activities (those that provide the background necessary for effectiveness and efficiency of the firm like human resources management) (Porter, 1985). These activates are discussed below: Primary activities 1. Inbound and Outbound logistics: In Inbound logistics, the key activities are those associated receiving the raw materials from suppliers and managing them within the firm. These activities includes Stock Control (storing and managing fuel, snacks, food and drinks.), passenger service system, facilities planning etc (Fig. 1.1). It provides ample of facilities to its customers, it gives choice of three entrees with main meal, free drinks, an amenity kit for outbound journey, complimentary newspaper of passengers choice. The facilities keeps on increasing if you move from economy to upper class. The upper-class passenger gets limo service to travel to airport where check in formalities are already completed before they check in hotel style lobby area and through a dedicated security area exclusively for virgin airline customers. The upper-class UK passengers gets a complimentary airport transfer in chauffeur driven Volvo or Virgin Limo Bike which makes there outbound logistics quiet impressing to customers. (Source: http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/tridion/images/studentinformationkitmarch2009_tcm4-622791.pdf; http://www.virginatlantic.com/en/gb/allaboutus/ourstory/forstudents.jsp#operation) Operations: Virgin Atlantic is the second largest long haul airline in the UK and the third largest European carrier over the North Atlantic. It operates to many of the top destinations around the world including destinations in the Caribbean, US, India, Far east and Africa. It has won many awards almost in most categories that travel industry offers. 3. Marketing and Sales: Virgin Atlantic uses a wide range of marketing techniques. Advertising activity includes magazines, TV, taxi sides press, outdoor posters and direct mail. Also promotional schemes plays vital role during traditionally low seasons. To encourage loyalty, Virgin Atlantic offers flying club membership where in members gets free miles that can be exchanged for free flights and other rewards. In addition, Virgin Atlantic also advertises through travel agents and runs wide range of promotional schemes, offers trade incentive, organises trips and social/educational events. The website (www.virgin.com/atlantic) also plays vital role as it offers full electronic booking, give information on destination, informs mileage balance to members and different promotional schemes. (Source: http://www.virginatlantic.com/en/gb/allaboutus/ourstory/forstudents.jsp#operation) 3.Service: Virgin Atlantic has won numerous awards for its service and claims to set up new standards of service by pioneering range of innovations. For example, with respect to comfort during journey, its upper-class suite has longest and most comfortable flat bed and seat in airline industry for which alone it won twelve awards. For travelling from airport, virgin Atlantic offers limousine service and Bike service to its customers. Support activities: Firm Infrastructure: It includes planning and control systems, such as corporate strategy, accounting and finance. (Lynch, 2003). Virgin Atlantic expends heavily on technological solutions and infrastructure. The Finance department analyse the expenses due and financial condition of the group and accordingly plans the expenses necessary for growth of organisation. 2. Human Resource Management: Virgin Atlantic recruit people by means of newspaper advertisements and through its website. Existing staff can also recommend and earn incentive through the same. Virgin Atlantic gives world-class training to its employees and develops their employees from time to time by organising educational events. Also they recruit and train people with sign language skill to facilitate to disable passengers 3.Technology Development: Virgin Atlantic not only considers technological developments as vital for growth but also spends a lot on it. It has award winning in-flight entertainment system, travel seats and beds designed to give extra comfort. Also it is continuously working on innovative aircraft design and technological solution to reduce carbon emission 4. Procurement: Virgin Atlantic has an efficient procurement department, which obtains quality goods and services at lowest price so that the passengers can avail these world-class facilities at competitive prices. The department takes benefit of large operations of and thus achieve economies of scale. The department also interacts with a number of organisations that provide handling services at airports, Including baggage handling, refuelling, maintenance, cleaner services and security. These services are offered by a number of companies and can help in reducing costs. (Source: http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/tridion/images/studentinformationkitmarch2009_tcm4-622791.pdf; http://www.virginatlantic.com/en/gb/allaboutus/ourstory/forstudents.jsp#operation) External analysis of Virgin Atlantic To have a grasp of the existing market as well as consumer and stakeholder perception, an awareness of external factors is essential. This section will highlight the position that Virgin Atlantic holds with respect to competitors, social perception, etc. PESTEL Analysis An organisations business environment is invariably governed by external factors which can be broadly analysed as Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors. To gain an advantage in the present and future market the organisation needs to reduce inefficiency and retain cost effectiveness (Grant, 2005). As Virgin Atlantic operates within Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, these factors differ to a certain degree and the manner in which competitors, political bodies and social groups react and respond to the brand has to be anticipated with some care. Political and Legal factors As Virgin Atlantic operates across the globe, it has to adapt its practices to suite national and international laws as well as domestic aviation rules and regulations. The manner in which competitors react to new market shares may also involve political influences. When the United Kingdom opened Heathrow Airport to Virgin, thereby abolishing the London Air Traffic Distribution Rules, angered the chairman of British Airways and lead to BAA donations to the Conservative Party being halted. Virgin also incurred the wrath of Lord King when two unused slots held by BAA at Tokyo Narita International Airport were awarded to the airlines (BAA, 2009). Economic factors It must be stated that the brief financial crisis of the early 1990s forced the then Conservative British government to open Heathrow to Virgin despite opposition from BAA. This shows how external economic conditions can sometimes be favourable to a rising organisation in grabbing a hitherto inaccessible monopolised market. One of the main economic factors that affect the airline industry in general is the fuel hike. Conrady (2009) notes that the low cost fuel prices provided to the UK airline industry has greatly assisted in it escaping the fate of many of its European counterparts. Social factors The social perception and acceptance of a brand is of vital importance to any organisation and Virgin Atlantic has managed to do that in a relatively short period. Virgin Atlantic has been vying for the position to instil in the British public the brand image of a national and international organisation. When British Airways announced in 1997 that it will remove the Union Flag from its tailfins in favour of more international images, Virgin was quick to introduce the Union flag prominently in its winglets and noses with the tagline Britains Flag Carrier thereby challenging BAs traditional role as UKs Flag Carrier. The training of its staff is also a major issue and is vital in gaining stakeholders and achieving stakeholder targets (Nadal, 2009). The service staff need to have proper training to meet the high standards of service which is expected of it by the consumers as a hallmark of the airline industry. Technological factors As an industry that heavily relies on technology, the technological factor is the most essential factor in improving efficiency in the longer term. Virgin has managed to introduce more than 700 next generation aeroplanes, which provides a marking contrast to most of its competitors. According to Briggs and Burke (2009) this also minimises maintenance and training costs in the long run. Virgins initiative to focus on providing online service will also have a marked benefit as more and more consumers are being introduced into the World Wide Web on a daily basis. Consumers are thereby allowed to get up-to-date information regarding flight schedules and compare airline prices. Environmental factors Environmental concerns have also been a frequent issue as the airline industry is notorious as a major polluter. Many campaigns have tried to befriend or at least calm the environmental lobbies but more effort must be put into projecting the image of an organisation that is doing its bit for the environment. Virgin has focused on informing consumers about the CO2 pollution before each flight. The duty free bags are now composed of a significant proportion of recyclable material in compliance with the Ministry of Agriculture (Wheeler and Elkington, 2001). Critical assessment of the virgin Atlantics strategies The above-defined analysis conforms the strategy of Virgin Atlantic as being excellent service provider, it makes its path by providing distinct service. The corporate strategy of the organisation is to provide world-class service at a competitive price. The companys strategy is well supported by statement of Porter (1996), which says that executing the same activities in a different way than that of traditional competitors helps in achieving better position in sustainable manner. The company enters oligopoly market where customer usually receives poor deal and there is a scope of acquiring market by giving better services. To raise awareness of their products and services and new routes, Virgin Atlantic advertises through TV, press, magazines etc. Another strategy that organisation use is to make customers loyal by making them member of there flying club . The flying club offers numerous world-class facilities which will not only help in satisfying the customer but also gaining customer loyalty. The more customers travel through them, the more miles they get which can be exchanged with free flight and other rewards. They also get special support service and clubhouse access. Also during traditional low seasons, tactical promotions and price advertising are done to a large extent to maximize the aircraft capacity. In addition to all these, Virgin Atlantic also market through travel agents by offering them familiarisation trips, trade incentives. (Source: https://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/frequentflyer/index.jsp; http://www.virginatlantic.com/en/gb/allaboutus/ourstory/forstudents.jsp) Effectiveness of strategies chosen SWOT Analysis According to Johnson (2005) SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) is a useful tool to examine financial accounts and developing healthy work environment of a company. It is a major step towards any strategic planning in a business. It is considered to be very important source of information for judging and understanding any sort of situations in the organisation. Given below is the SWOT analysis for Virgin Atlantic. Strengths Virgin Atlantic is headquartered in country where competition is enhanced and tolerated due to deregulation The virgin Atlantic has the head office in the country where the contest is heightened and tolerated due to the deregulation, which means the business is managed without the aid of following government restriction. The important feature of the Virgin Atlantic is the collaboration with Singapore airlines that made them one of the best airlines in the world. This has proven to be advantageous for virgin in many ways like huge market access, restructuring, converging technology to develop new one, gaining knowledge and extending supply etc. The strength of the Virgin group perhaps, is its importance to best customer service and innovation combined with brand name gives a big advantage to Virgin Atlantic. Virgin believes in creativity, adding its importance to customer service and innovation with the brand name virgin proves out to be the biggest strength of Virgin Atlantic. Its has introduced many firsts in the business like first to launch entertainment systems, onboard bars which increased social activities in-flight, providing complimentary limousines services, beauty treatments in-flight. It further introduced business economy cabin. It also has a website that dedicated to what a customer can expect from the airline and all other conclusive details of interest. Virgin has a powerful e-business structure that makes communications simpler and easier with the customers. They continually measure the performance delivered by each crewmember on flights. An additional feather to their cap is the exceptional service tin providing assistance to disabled/visually-impaired passengers. It not only helped in earning good reputation but also winning EASE award consecutive four years. (Source:http://www.virgin-Atlantic.com/en/gb/whatsonboard/index.jsp;http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/allaboutus/ourstory/history.jsp) Weaknesses The major drawback Virgin Atlantic faces is limited market reach as unlike other major international airlines. It operates in limited countries only like UK, Caribbean, South Africa, India, Australia, and US The companies reach in code sharing is limited hence it is not able to enjoy the benefits of code sharing which the members of leading Global alliance are able to do such as lack of transferable priority status, lack of seamless travel, lack of enhanced frequent-flier program benefits, limited extended lounge access and lack of greater network access. This is because Virgin Atlantic is not part of any leading global alliances. (Source: http://www.virginatlantic.com/en/gb/allaboutus/ourstory/forstudents.jsp)   Opportunities Virgin Atlantic is one of the few airline companies operating successfully in African countries, gradual liberalisation in UK/south African market leading to 53% rise in flights and 62% increase in passengers. The business has increased incredibly. There are few more cities, which can be considered for hospitality service based on the smooth record of the airline. Some of the very well known and large airlines have experienced bankruptcy in recent times providing them a great opportunity. Also the European Union is on their side providing to a be great support. Going forward, Virgin still have a great scope to grow in African market as only the British and African airways in dominating the continent and virgin comes at third position. It should focus on increasing the market share in Africa. Another opportunity available with Virgin Atlantic is attracting customers by aggressively promoting the clubhouse facilities and introduction of its latest Heathrow clubhouse. The number of tourist coming to UK is increasing day by day which is an opportunities available to them but in competitive environment, its quiet tough but strategic and aggressive marketing can make it possible.      Threats The current situation all over the world has lead to increase in competition so there is high possibility of threat due to competitiveness in the market which in turn creates pressure to maintain continuous profit. This would in turn lead to forceful alliances, mergers and acquisitions which might not be in the interest of the company. Other issue of concern is accommodation of passengers on the aircraft. Other threat may be the legislations i.e. changing policies and rules by government in the country where Virgin Atlantic operates. This may slowdown the operations and business of the company. Another major threat is emergence of new airlines, which can increase competition. Also if new airlines or existing competitors adopt Virgin Atlantics concept and structure, it will be a major threat to the company Strategic options for Virgin media: Ansoff Matrix: The Ansoff matrix (Ansoff, 1957) invented by Igor Ansoff who is also known as father of Strategic Management and was first published in Harvard business review in 1957. It presents the product and market choices available to an organization. In this markets may be defined as customers and products as items sold to customers (Lynch, 2003). Main aspects of Ansoff Analysis The Ansoff matrix provides the basis for an organizations objective setting process and sets the foundation of directional policy for its future (Bennett, 1994). The four strategies entailed in the matrix are elaborated below. Ansoff Product-Market Growth Matrix: (Ansoff, 1957) Market Penetration: It occurs when an organisation accesses a market with its recent services products. The market penetration strategy begins with the existing customers of the organization. This strategy is often use by companies in order to increase sales without wandering from the original strategy of product-market. (Ansoff, 1957). Product Development: Firm develops new products catering to the same market. This strategy refers to the significant new development of products not just minor changes to the existing products (Lynch, 2003). Market development In this particular strategy, a company moves beyond its existing customer base in search of new customers for its existing products and services. This strategy involves searching of new segment of a market, searching of new area to attract new customers, different/new use of products and services. (Lynch, 2003). Another good strategy that comes under market development is selling existing products in new international markets. (for example British firms can consider of selling there products in complete European markets). Diversification Levitt (1983) rightly whispered that world these days is becoming common market and people no matter where they live are demanding similar product and lifestyle. There has been a massive raise in international trade because of globalisation and liberalization. Diversification strategy essentially involves movement of current products and services in new markets (Lynch, 2003; Macmillan et al, 2000). All four strategic options defined above in the Ansoffs model bears risk element with them. Although Market penetration is often considered as a low risk strategy but diversification is considered as a high-risk growth strategy as it involves huge investment that increases due to simultaneously movement into new products and new markets. When applied to Virgin Atlantic, this model results in to two vital strategic options available. Product development strategy and the Market development strategy, to become the most successful organization Virgin Atlantic should follow both of them. The product development strategy suggested through Ansoffs matrix can be a very good strategy for Virgin Atlantic because of the type of customer base, the company possess. The company has good customer base of upper class families and corporate tycoons. If the company introduce new products or sub products, they can market it to these existing customers. The company should focus on strengthening the relationship with existing clients often known as Relationship marketing. One of the ways to achieve it is being in contact with them, giving them special offers, and at times offering them concession. If they are given special facilities and excellent services then it will develop brand loyalty in them. Another option available with Virgin Atlantic is market development strategy which involves search of additional geographical regions and additional market segment. If we compare the flights/services offered by Virgin Atlantic with British airlines, there is a large gap. Although Virgin Atlantic is UKs second largest airline but it operates flights to only 26 major destinations whereas against BA has flights to more than 150 odd destinations. Virgin Atlantic should increase the number of destinations, which can be done after carefully analysing the facts and figures about the population, operations, flights of competitors etc. Also Virgin Atlantic group should focus on developing country (Asia Pacific Region) as the growth prospects ate higher than developed countries. China and India are two developing countries with highest population and expected compounded growth rate in this region in 2007-2012 will be 5.2%. The manufacturing cost is comparatively low in these countries making them attractive destination for business. Also it will be a sound decision to outsource operational work to these countries. Virgin Atlantic is famous for luxurious flights as it offers world-class facilities to their passengers but in this competitive environment they are not offering anything price conscious economy class passengers. They should introduce no frills flight with the objective of earning profits on economy of scales. With this strategy they will not only diversify their risk but can potentially capture a new segment using their brand name and service. Conclusion: To conclude, after analysing internal and external factors of the Virgin Atlantic, it has been observed that Virgin group has grown massively and became world-class brand following the path of virgin group but it is still in path as there is a massive scope of growth which can be realised by combination of two strategies. They are product development and market development and market development. If used appropriately, they can help Virgin Atlantic to